Secondhand Love
by aurora stanley
Summary: Leah Clearwater is ready to start off her high school experience. When she meets a boy, she gets caught up in a whirlwind highschool romance. But after heartbreak & the pain from a burden from her heritage, can she learn to love again?
1. The Beautiful Boy

**Hi all! This is my first fanfic, and I'm not really sure what I'm doing. I'd love to write a B/E story, but there's such an abundance of those, and I got this idea, so I'm trying to run with it. This is my story of Leah Clearwater's "love life." It plays along with Twilight storyline (for the most part) and is set about a year or so before Bella moves to Forks. It's set on the reservation, and is all about those Quiletes and Makahs. So here's the first chapter, its called **_The Beautiful Boy_**. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I obviously do not own Twilight or any of its characters. Stephenie Meyer owns all!  
**

**LPOV**

Being a wolf—or more accurately a wolverine—isn't something you exactly get used to. Ever. But that sure as hell doesn't mean I don't like it. Well, honestly, I love it. The freedom of speed and strength! It's invigorating. Of course, there are plenty of downsides to it, but I've learned to love what I am—or rather, what I've become. But I only feel that way now, after having so much time to get used to this. The consequences of being a Quilete weren't always as appealing to me as they are now. At least now I don't have to worry about exploding into a wolf just because I get upset. It's under control. But I should start at the beginning. Back in high school.

School on the reservation had never been too exciting. When I started my sophomore year in high school, I wasn't expecting much. I was in for the best and worst times of my life. But we'll get there.

That first day there were the same faces, same halls, and same events I'd known all my life. I glanced down at my schedule to see that English class was my homeroom. As the bell rang, I slid into the first open seat I could find. I recognized Kim to my right and gave her a slight smile. I didn't really know her, but I knew who she was. We were somewhat-acquaintances. She was kind of a plain girl, really. Bland, but nice enough. She smiled back at me as she tucked her thick, dark hair behind her ear and looked forward towards the teacher.

Mr. Meaani was probably the best teacher to have first thing in the morning. He seemed like he wanted to be there just as much as you did; he was barely awake in homeroom. I had him for first period, too, so I really lucked out. He didn't pay much attention to whether or not you were paying attention to him. Kim was in my English class, too, so I decided to try and get to know her a little bit better. In between homeroom and English, I attempted to start a conversation.

"Hey, Kim," I started. Kim looked up at me, a little bit sheepish. She looked as if I had pulled her out of some sort of daydream.

"Hi, Leah," she answered.

"How was your summer?" I asked.

"Pretty good. Didn't do too much, just mostly hung out at the beach. You?"

I had worked my butt off, trying to save up enough money for a car. "Worked towards getting my own car. I got my license already." I smiled, a little bit smug. I was one of the oldest in my class.

"Wow," she said, seeming a little bit in shock. Then it faded and the same plain expression covered her face again. It seemed she was going to give up conversation there. That was fine, it was a good start. I still couldn't really see myself being "best friends" with her, though. I needed depth.

Class started and ended, and on the day went. When it came time for lunch, I grabbed my own that I had brought out of my locker and headed to the cafeteria. Since first grade I had always packed my own lunch; I didn't trust the school's food. I saw Kim sitting at a table with some other girls, but didn't really want to sit with her. I spotted an empty seat in the corner of the cafeteria, and headed towards it.

Sitting down, I pulled out my sandwich and began to chew. Sitting by oneself would bother most people, but I wasn't exactly most people. I didn't mind being alone. However, I did want to make new friends this year. I had decided to make the best of my high school years. I sat munching and contemplating, assessing all of my classmates in the cafeteria. That was when I saw him. I'd never been one to put much trust in love at first sight. But this boy was beautiful! In the most unique way, too. He had russet-colored skin just like the rest of us, and dark long hair pulled back into a low ponytail. But it was the sophisticated, carefree nature of his facial expression. As he laughed at something his friend was saying, his eyes caught my stare. I quickly diverted my eyes and looked down at my hands. _Crap_, I thought. _He saw me_. I peeked back up to see if he had paid me any attention to find him still looking my way. I tried to look away, but found myself unable to; I was lost in his oddly curious gaze. He broke eye contact to turn and say something to his shorter friend, who then looked my way and shrugged. The beautiful boy said something else to his friend and then his friend nodded. Then they both started walking my way.

_Uh-oh_, I thought, _Please don't be coming to my table. Please don't be coming to my table_. I looked back down at my twiddling fingers. _I hate confrontations_. All my resolutions to be more outgoing went out the window. I couldn't just talk to this odd and gorgeous boy! _ Don't come over here, don't come over here. Please just don't co--_.

"Hi," came an extremely husky voice, interrupting my internal tirade. I looked up to see the boy with his friend. "Do you mind if we sit with you?"

"Not at all," I replied, trying to be coy. _Gah. I suck at flirting! Why am I even trying??_

"I'm Jared," said the shorter, unremarkable—at least in my eyes—boy.

"Leah," I said while extending a hand to shake his, "Nice to meet you." I turned my expression expectedly towards the beautiful one.

His ultra attractive, husky voice introduced, "I'm Sam. Sam Uley."

**What do you guys think? Should I continue? Let me know (:**

**_Reviews are love!_  
**


	2. Not Normal

**Thanks to those of you who reviewed! It really means a lot. I've decided to continue writing, even if there's only one person out there reading it, if you're liking it, I'll keep writing. But I'm not too sure if I like the way this chapter came out, some of the content was a little hard to write. I know where I want the plot to lead but it's the small details that I'm working on. Anyways, here's chapter two, it's called **_Not Normal_**.**

**DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer owns all characters.  
**

_Sam Uley_, I thought dreamily. _Mrs. Leah Uley_, I started in my head, trying out the sound of it. Then I scolded myself mentally for becoming mush because of an Indian boy I had literally just met. _Snap out of it!_ I reprimanded. _You have to say something before you look completely stupid!_

"So what grade are you in?" I asked tentatively, wondering why I had never seen these two before. They were obviously from the reservation. On second thought, Jared looked sort of familiar. But I had definitely never seen Sam before.

Sam smiled and his white teeth looked amazingly bright against his russet skin. "I'm a junior," he answered. "And Jared here is a lowly sophomore," he teased elbowing his friend. "You?"

I frowned. "I'm a lowly sophomore." Instantly Sam's smile dropped.

"I didn't mean it like that," he said, trying to cover up his unintended insult. "I was just teasing Jared. Sophomores are cool." He smiled in an effort to convince me.

Jared rolled his eyes and said, "Because you were a sophomore _so_ long ago." I giggled at that._ Did I just _giggle_?_ I thought. _Oh boy_.

"Don't worry about it, I'm not offended," I said to Sam, trying to play up the mellow factor. He smiled that smile again and I swear my heart skipped a beat.

"Good."

"So how come I haven't seen you around before?" I asked Sam. I felt like I'd seen Jared before but I still wasn't sure where exactly. So instead I directed the conversation at Sam. I couldn't help it; there was just something about him.

He sighed like he'd been asked this question a million times and I immediately regretted asking it. But he still answered me, "I traveled a lot the past couple years. Freshmen year I just felt like I needed to explore, you know? So I went down to California, to meet up with some old friends that I ended up staying with. But when it all came down to it, I missed La Push too much. It's like I'm attached to this place with a string. Like I have some duty to attend to here. Weird, huh?" The whole time he'd been explaining, his dark eyes had been locked on mine, and if it hadn't been for the sweet and rough sound of his voice, I might have been too distracted to listen to his explanation.

"No, I don't think that's weird. Some people just belong in certain places. Like a feeling you can't control." _Like me, and my weird attraction to you, who I just met_. "I get that. How about you, Jared? I kind of feel like I've seen you around before but not really."

"Ugh," Jared said like he, too had had to explain the reason for his absence from the La Push social interactions one too many times. "You probably have. I hang out with some people you might know, like Embry Call or Jacob Black." _Oh yeah, _I thought. _I think he was down at First Beach one time or something_. "The thing is my mom," he paused to roll his eyes, "is _so_ overprotective. She's home-schooled me for a couple years."

"Hmm," I said, satisfied the mystery is solved. "That would make sense."

"So tell us something about you," said Sam with that damned smile of his.

_What do I say about myself? _I wondered. _My life is extremely boring and typical and absolutely normal._ "Well, I have a brother. His name is Seth. And, I…" _Gah! Don't ask about me!_ "Um…Hmm…I'm not sure what else to say. I'm pretty normal I guess." _How embarrassing._

"You don't seem normal," Sam blurted out. I stared at him incredulously. Excuse _me?_

"What?" I said, disbelief coloring my tone. _I don't seem normal? What the hell is that supposed to mean!?_

Sam looks extremely embarrassed. "That's not what I meant!" He rushes to apologize, "Sorry, I know that sounded mean, but I meant as a compliment." _Compliment?_ I questioned internally. Jared laughed, shaking his head. Sam threw him a frustrated look. "It's just that you don't seem like you're like other girls." _I'm not like other girls?_ I wondered, feeling my brow crease in confusion. Jared laughed harder. "Wait!" Sam said, exasperated. "That all came out wrong. Not being like other girls is a good thing. You just seem…I don't know…_different_. But in a good way. A very good way."

This boy made no sense. What right did he have to tell me I was abnormal? But the way he said, "a very good way" with that stupid smile made any anger or hurt from his weird comments disappear.

"Ok," I said. "Thank-you?"

He laughed. "You're welcome. I mean it. It's a compliment."

"If you say so," I replied. Jared laughed.

"It's true," Jared said. "You almost have an aura about you, like, you don't seem to really care what other people think about you."

"I don't," I said, surprised he had caught that much about me from the approximate two seconds I had been talking to him. _I _didn't_, _my brain corrects, _I most definitely care what this Sam Uley thinks about me, now. Why _is _that?_

"And that's cool," said Sam, breaking my train of thought.

"Thanks," I said, genuinely this time. "Ok," I started, "I guess I can think of something better to say than, 'I have a brother."' They both laughed. "Let's see, though, I'm honestly not all that interesting. Hmm. Unless you count the karate lessons I took when I was five. Those were definitely interesting." The both laughed again.

"Impressive," commented Sam. Jared rolled his eyes. _Does he always do that? _ I wondered.

Instead I continued my little rant about myself, "I never played with Barbies, I just seemed too cool for that. I really like to run. I know most people think that's weird, and hate running, but not me. There. End of random Leah-trivia-session." I smirked. _How weird,_ I thought. _This whole new-friend-and-flirting-and-attraction-thing. I wonder if Sam feels the electric vibe running through the space between us like I do?_

"You're funny," said Jared. He picked up a piece of pizza off his tray, eating the last of it, and I realized that since they had sat down, I'd been neglecting my lunch. I picked my sandwich back up and nibbled on it. Then the horrid bell rang, ending my time with these two friendly boys, and dooming me to continue to chemistry class. Jared darted up.

"Ugh," he said, "I have gym on the other side of campus. I'll see you two later!" Then he ran off.

"Let me help you with that," said Sam, not merely helping, but simply taking all of my trash and throwing it away for me.

"Thanks," I said, and he rewarded me with a smile. _Lovely._

"No problem," he answered. "What's your next class?"

"Chemistry." I think it came out a half-groan. He chuckled at my expression.

"Can I walk you to class?"

"Sure," I said, trying to cover my surprise. _Maybe he does feel something like I do. _When he reached over to grab my books for me, his hand brushed mine. An actual electric jolt pulsed up my arm at his touch, and I looked down to double check there were no visible sparks. When I pulled my gaze back up to meet his, he grinned at me again. _This boy sure does smile a lot._

Walking to chemistry, I questioned myself a million times over what was happening to me. Sure, I'd thought plenty of boys were cute; I had even dated a couple times. But this boy—I mean, this _Sam_—had already stolen my heart in a way I never thought possible. _How is this even possible? _But then I sighed internally because there was no way this feeling was requited. _There's no way he likes me_.

"You're wrong, you know," he says as we get to the door of the chemistry lab and he hands me my books. Momentarily, I panic that I said that last thought aloud on accident. But then he says, "You may think you aren't all that interesting, but I'm very interested in you."

And with that, he smiles that smile and turns away to go to his class.

**What did you think?**

**_Review, please!_  
**


	3. Surprised

**So I sat down to write this chapter, and it turned out to be a lot longer than I originally planned (not like long chapters are a bad thing, but this one was way too long) so I split it up into two chapters. Without further adieu, here's chapter three, it's called **_Surprised_**. Hope you like it!**

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Twilight. Everything is by Stephenie Meyer and her pure genius.  
**

Sam and Jared sat with me at lunch the rest of that first week of school. Jared was one of those funny guys you could depend on, and Sam was…Sam. There was no denying the connection between us, and the first couple weeks of our friendship, I vacillated on believing whether or not he felt the same way about me.

The third week of school, on Tuesday afternoon, Sam invited me to hang out with him and some other friends that night.

"We're just going to have a bonfire down on First Beach. Think you want to go?" The way his eyes burned into mine was so intense; I couldn't believe all he was asking was to go to the beach. The emotion in his eyes read, _"Marry me and forget the world."_ But instead his mouth said, _"Sit around fire with friends at beach?"_ Good thing I wasn't deaf or I would misunderstand a lot of the things he said.

"You're not going?" I asked Jared.

"No," he answered softly, looking down at his lunch. _Poor guy_, I thought. It turned out that his mom truly was the 'mama bear' persona he had made her out to be. She rarely let him do anything and was avid that he remained completely ahead of the game academically.

"Mom?" I asked, feeling guilty at the great relationship I shared with my parents.

"Nope," he retorted, his head flicking up so he could grin at me wickedly. "_I _have a date."

"A date?" I couldn't help but ask. "With who?"

"You know that girl Kiani who transferred here from the Makah rez?" _He got a date with Kiani!? How sweet._

"I do!" I practically squealed. "My cousin Emily goes to that school and Kiani was one of her friends. Good for you, Jared!"

For once it was Sam who rolled his eyes when Jared said, "I know!"

Then Sam turned his attention back to me. "Lee-lee?" My head snapped from Jared's face to Sam's.

"What did you just call me?" I asked, perplexed. _Lee-lee?_ Jared laughed his usual, guttural laugh.

Sam grinned triumphantly and my heart melted. "Lee-lee. I like it. I think it fits." He chuckled.

"Lee-lee?" I repeated the name, it sounded so much better when it came off of Sam's lips. "It sounds like… like I don't even know. Jared, what does it sound like?"

"Lee-lee?" he asked and immediately started cracking up.

Sam laughed, too but then he turned serious. "Ok, I don't care what it sounds like, that's your new nickname." He smiled, my heart stopped. "Lee-uh," he said, the intensity back and enunciating each syllable separately. "You didn't answer my question."

_What question?_ I wondered. _Oh yeah! He wants me to go to this bonfire thingy. Sure, why not?_ "You mean your asking me if I want to go the bonfire?"

"Yes…" he said, although he seemed not totally satisfied.

"Well, yes I do want to go." I smiled at him and he returned the grin. "You said First Beach, right?" He nodded. "What time should I get there?" _Unfortunately, I don't quite have enough for a car, yet, _I thought to myself. _But Mom shouldn't mind if I take hers._

His smile faltered slightly, and he said, "Leah, do you…want to go to the bonfire _with me_?"

_Click! Oh!_ "You mean…like a…?" My voice trailed off, unable to finish the question. I could feel my cheeks heat up and I was evermore grateful for my dark skin and its ability to disguise embarrassment.

"Date?" Finished Jared, and I could tell he was holding back laughter.

"Yes," answered Sam, and for the first time since I'd met him, he sounded shy.

_Of course!_ My head yelled, but I was somehow unable to say anything. _Sam actually…what? Likes me?_ "Sure," I in some way managed to answer. His smile grew even bigger. _How is that _possible_?_

"Great! I'll pick you up at seven, then. Is that okay?"

I just nodded. I couldn't believe Sam had just asked me out. I looked at Jared. _Yup, definitely holding back laughter._ Sam looked at him, too and sighed. "Just go ahead and laugh, Jared." And then Jared busted up.

"You two…" he said between laughter, "…are the most…" But he didn't even finish his sentence. Oh well. I just rolled my eyes and finished my lunch. The bell rang, and once Jared stopped laughing, he shook his head and picked up his lunch tray (Unfortunately for their health, I hadn't convinced either one of them that the school cafeteria's food was not to the benefit of their wellbeing. I personally, thought they were just too lazy to make their own lunches), heading to throw away his trash and head to class.

"Bye, Jared! Good luck on your date!" I called after him, knowing I wouldn't see him again, today. Even though he was in my grade, we didn't have any classes together.

"Thanks! Good luck on yours, too!" he retorted. Again my I felt my cheeks burn.

Sam sighed and asked, "Are you ready to go?" He walked me to chemistry everyday. It was my most favorite part of the day. Just Sam and me. _Lovely_. It even made up for the fact that I loathed chemistry class.

"Sure," I said, and I picked up the trash while he grabbed my books. Then we headed to my class, and I couldn't tell if it was just me, or if he was walking deathly close to me.

We talked about random things on the way to chemistry. Normally, he would pound me with questions, questions about the most random things. Favorite color, food, things about my childhood… I didn't understand how he found all of that _so _fascinating but the way he looked at me when we talked told me he really was interested. Today he didn't ask me anything like that, though. In fact, it was kind of quiet. I got worried.

"Are you okay, Sam?" I asked when we reached the door of the chemistry lab. Maybe he regretted asking me out.

He looked at me with intensely dark eyes. "Of course. Why?"

"You just seem awfully quiet."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Honestly, I'm just surprised is all."

"Surprised?" I questioned. "Surprised at what?"

"You," he said, and his smile was back on his beautiful face. I smiled back, unable to fight it. When he smiled, I smiled. Seeing him happy simply made me happy.

"What about me?"

"You said yes," he made it sound like some kind of miracle. I rolled my eyes.

"Of course I did. Why is that so surprising?"

"I don't know…I guess I just felt like…maybe you didn't feel about me the same way I feel about you." He sounded shy again.

"Sam," I addressed him. His eyes were burning into mine, and it made it extremely hard to think coherently. "How do you feel about me?" _Wow! Where did that forwardness come from?_ I thought. That was definitely out of character.

And then, when he smiled and opened his mouth to speak, the damned bell rang again, telling him to get to class. "We'll talk tonight," he said, and handed me my books. Then he smiled again and rushed to class.

As if it wasn't already hard enough to pay attention in chemistry class! It seemed like Mr. Real was speaking another language as he described cations and anions and polyatomic ions. _What the heck is an "ion" anyways?_ I thought. But then my thoughts turned back to Sam, and I became anxious. Halfway through Mr. Real's lecture, I gave up completely on trying to pay attention and put all of my brainpower into trying to figure out what Sam had said.

_How can he be surprised that I said yes? And what the hell does he mean, "Maybe you didn't feel about me the same way I feel about you"? Haven't those been _my_ thoughts since the day I met him? And how on earth am I supposed to wait until tonight?_ I was turning into a real-life teenage soap opera. I'd never felt this strongly about a boy in all my life. I didn't know what was happening to me.

After chemistry, I made my way across campus to gym class. I loved gym; it was the one class I didn't have to try one bit. Physical things just came naturally to me. I couldn't explain it—it's like it was in my genes. I'd always been fast and agile. Needless to say, gym went without a hitch, all we did was run the mile, and it was a good outlet for me to put my stress. As I changed out of my P.E. clothes, the nerves hit again, and I rushed outside to find my mom's car.

That was the almost sucky part about getting my license so early. I didn't have a car yet, so half the time, Mom needed hers, and that meant she still had to pick me up and drop me off. I spotted her quickly and got in the passenger side, while we waited for Seth to make his way to the car.

"Hi, Mom," I greeted her as I put my seatbelt on.

"Hey, sweetie. How was your day?" She smiled at me.

I was about to say, "Fine," like I always did but changed my mind. "Great, actually." I could feel the smile forming on my face.

She looked at me to try to read my expression. "What happened?" she asked.

"You know my friends Sam and Jared?" I had told her about both of the boys. It seemed like they would be most of whom I'd be spending my time with, so I'd already filled her in.

"Mhmm," she answered, as Seth got in the car.

"Leah! You got shotgun this morning!" he whined, sliding in.

I turned around. "I always get shotgun in the afternoon," I said. "It's not my fault you slept in this morning and were late getting ready. You snooze you lose."

He just sighed heavily and said, "Whatever." I knew he wouldn't actually care. Seth was too nice for his own good. My mom just rolled her eyes and directed her attention back at me.

"So anyways, Leah, you were saying?" she prodded as she pulled the car out of the school parking lot.

"Oh yeah," I said animatedly, getting back into my story of the best day of my life. The great thing about my family was, that we were all close. I loved both my mom and dad dearly, and even though Seth and I fought sometimes, I was close enough to him for him to know pretty much anything about my life. He was a good kid. So his presence in the car didn't change the course of conversation one bit. I continued, "So Sam and Jared. Well you remember Emily's friend, Kiani, up from the Makah rez?" I asked. Mom nodded. "Well, Jared has a date with her tonight."

"Really?" Mom asked, genuinely surprised. "I thought you said his mom was strict?"

"Well apparently she's lightening up a little bit. Isn't that cute though?"

"Mhmm," my mom answered again, waiting for me to continue. "And what about Sam?" she asked.

"Sam has a date tonight, too."

"Really?" interjected Seth from the backseat, concern crossing his face. "Don't you like him, Leah?" I smiled.

"Seth, _I'm_ the date."

"Oh sweetie, how fun!" said my mom. What was it like for people who weren't close to their families? _I guess most of them have best friends and such to share it all with_. But when you had a family as perfect as mine, why _wouldn't_ they be your best friends.

"Cool, Leah!" said Seth, slipping back out of the conversation.

"He's picking me up at seven and we're going to a bonfire out on First Beach."

"Well that sounds like fun," said my mom as we pulled into the driveway. "What time will you be home?"

"I don't know. What time do you want me by?" Yet another great thing about being close to your parents: trust. I'd never really had a set curfew; it just depended on the situation.

"Hmm," she said. "Well it is a school night so how about being back by ten-thirtyish?"

"Ok, I'll let Sam know."

We walked into the house and I went upstairs to my room to finish my homework. English and math I finished quickly, and I spent a good amount of time working on chem., regretting my zoning out during sixth period. Finally I gave up on that, going to take a shower and get ready. I glanced at the clock. It was five, so that should give me plenty of time to get ready.

After I showered, I spent a good amount of time drying my hair, taking the time to leave it decently wavy. After that I went back to my room to try and decide what to wear. Then the nerves hit again. _I'm turning into such a girl! _I thought frantically as I fretted over what outfit was most appropriate. I decided on a jean skirt with a sweatshirt, and threw on some flip-flops. _That's good enough, right?_ I wondered as I looked at myself in the mirror.

I never wore makeup; it seemed like too much of a hassle. But for some reason, I found myself searching through the drawer in my bathroom and then applying mascara. It was amazing, the difference that simple tube made. It really outlined my deep brown eyes, and not to mention it made me feel even girlier.

At a quarter to seven, after attempting chemistry in one last effort, I walked downstairs to see what Mom made for dinner. I saw Seth on a barstool at the counter, twirling spaghetti onto his fork. Dad had gotten home and he was sitting at the table, doing the same. He smiled when he saw me and said, "So Mom tells me you've got a date tonight?"

"Yes," I answered, becoming even more nervous when it was said aloud like that.

"Well good for you, honey. I hope you have fun."

"Thanks, Dad."

Then Mom's head came out of the open fridge as she pulled out the milk carton she'd been looking for. "Oh Leah, sweetie, you look so pretty!"

"Thanks, Mom," I said.

"Do you want some spaghetti before you go?"

"I don't think so," I answered honestly. "I'm too nervous to eat."

"It'll be fine, Lee," said Seth, scooping more spaghetti and switching hands for better rolling technique. "I ran into Sam the other morning." _He did?_ "He seemed to know who I was and he seemed really cool. Don't be nervous."

"Thanks, Seth." _Wow. Good thing there's no one else in the family. Thanks, Mom, Thanks, Dad, Thanks, Seth… it'd take forever if I ever won an academy award or something. Too many important people in my life._

Watching them eat reminded me to brush my teeth. "I'll be right back," I said, rushing up to my bathroom and pulling out the toothpaste and toothbrush. After I rinsed, I repeated, and then I gargled my favorite mouthwash. Just as I was finishing up, I heard the doorbell ring. I ran to my room, grabbed my keys and cell phone, and arrived at the top of the stairs to see my dad answering the door.

**What did you think? The next one should be up soon, I'm just putting the finishing touches on it.**

**_Please review! They are the most encouraging things to get!_  
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	4. Bonfire

**Okay, so I feel like I'm kind of giving you the wrong impression, updating so quickly, because I probably won't be able to do this normally. I have a really hard class load (AP and honors classes), and I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update. My hope is at least one time a week, maybe even two, and it'll usually be on the weekends. But for now, I'll give you what I've got written. Here's chapter four, it's called **_Bonfire_**. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: Last time I checked, I am not famous or rich or Stephenie Meyer, so none of these characters belong to me. Please don't sue.  
**

"Hi, you must be Mr. Clearwater," I heard Sam's husky voice say. "I'm Sam Uley."

I could see my dad smile and I made my way down the staircase as I heard my dad say, "Nice to meet you, Sam, come on in." Finally Sam noticed me, and I saw first surprise, and then a huge smile cross his face, and I stifled a giggle. My mom came out of the kitchen and smiled at Sam. "This is my wife," Dad said, "and that's Seth but I think you already met him."

Sam reached over to my mom who was now standing next to my dad and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Clearwater," he said, "And yes, I have met Seth before. How are you doing?"

"Great!" Seth answered in between bites of spaghetti. I was now standing next to my parents, and nervous as hell.

"Hi, Leah," Sam greeted me, and when he looked at me like that, it made me weak in the knees.

"Hey, Sam," I greeted and tried not to laugh at all the formalities.

He turned his attention back to my parents. "What time do I need to get her home by?" he asked politely.

"About ten thirty," answered my dad, and I loved him forever for being so nice and throwing in that little word "about."

"Yes, sir," answered Sam and he turned back to me. "You ready to go?" he asked, turning the full force of his eyes on me.

"Mhmm," I answered, not exactly able to form clear and concise words at the moment.

"Alright," he said, and offered me his hand. I said goodbye to my parents and slipped my hand in his, trying to ignore the surge of electricity running through every vain in my body. He led me out the front door and opened the passenger door of his truck for me, helped me in, and then closed the door for me.

"Breathe," I reminded myself in a whisper as he walked back to his side of the truck and hopped in, starting it up. I clicked my seatbelt in place and so did he, and then he backed out of the driveway.

I expected the drive to be awkward and quiet, but he surprised me. "I'm sorry I had to leave you hanging there like that before class," he opened the conversation with.

"No problem, you only made it five times as hard to concentrate on Mr. Real," I teased.

"Sorry about that," he added lightly. Then he turned serious again, "But I am going to explain myself. Just be a little more patient."

"No problem, you're only going to make it five times as hard to concentrate on you," I teased again.

"Sorry about that," he said again, with a big grin on his face.

"So where are Jared and Kiani going tonight?" I asked.

"Dinner. I think he was actually going to drive her out to Port Angeles."

"Wow, on a school night? That is quite the trip. He must really like her."

"He really does," answered Sam, and he took his right hand off the wheel and wrapped his fingers around mine. "Do you mind?" he asked, his eyes flicking from the road to mine.

"Not at all," I answered and squeezed his hand. The warmth felt so good, it felt like…I don't even have a comparison. It just felt like my hand belonged in his, almost as if it was relieving a pain I never knew even existed.

"Good," he answered, and turned the conversation to school. "Do you really have a hard time in chemistry?" he asked. "Is it that bad?"

"Ugh, you have no idea!" I answered. "I've always been really good at science, I'm not exactly sure why chemistry is such a hard subject for me."

"I could tutor you," he offered. "I'm in AP Chem II."

"Well, aren't you a genius?" I tease, but then add seriously, "If you don't mind, though, I think that would really help."

"Of course, I don't mind at all," he answered, and pulled into a parking spot by the beach. His hand left mine to turn off the car and unbuckle his seatbelt. I undid my own, and reached for the handle of the door. "Wait," he instructed and got out of the truck. He walked over to my door and opened it for me, offering his hand again. I put mine back in his and he closed the door. _This is going to take some getting used to_, I thought.

"You're supposed to let me do all that stuff," he whispered into my ear, sending electric chills down my whole body. It was dangerous for him to be that close to me, I was seriously concerned about spontaneous combustion. As if the current flow of energy throbbing through my hand wasn't enough.

"Gotcha," I said quietly and his head left my ear. Just like with my hand, I now felt a pain I'd never known existed as my body ached to be closer to his. This wasn't how everyone's body reacted when they were around the one they loved, was it? _Wait a minute._ I halted my thoughts._ Did I just think the word "love"? Like. I meant like._ We walked like that hand-in-hand through the sand towards the glowing fire with kids situated around it.

As we neared them, I felt Sam turn towards me, so I looked up at him and he said, "You look beautiful, by the way, I think I forgot to mention that."

"Thanks," I said, looking back towards the fire, which we were very close to approaching. My heart was going crazy; I needed a distraction before it went into overdrive.

"Hey Sam!" someone shouted and everyone looked over to see us arrive at the fire. Sam greeted everyone and introduced me, telling me everyone's names (which I quickly forgot). We sat on a log together, and spent our time roasting marshmallows (which I somehow managed to actually eat, and keep them down, despite the nerves) and telling old legends of the tribe. People took turns describing the spirit warriors, and old tales of what most people would call werewolves. I didn't pay much attention, as fascinating as it all was. Partly because I'd heard most of the old stories before, but mostly because I could feel Sam's body heat so close to me, and he never once let go of my hand.

Finally at some point, Sam checked the time on his phone, and I peeked over to see that it was a quarter 'til ten. He whispered in my ear, asking me if I wanted to go on a walk with him, and I just nodded, intoxicated by his proximity. He announced to his friends, all of whom I forgot their names, (they were mostly upperclassmen that I didn't know) that we were going to go walk and then leave soon. They all said bye and told me it was nice to meet me. Sam pulled me up and led me closer to the water, where we started to walk, still hand-in-hand, along the coast.

"So," he started, sounding shy again. I looked up to his face, trying to read his expression in the dark. We were still close enough that there was a slight glow. I couldn't really read his expression though.

"Yes?" I prodded, wanting him to continue, knowing what he was getting at. He stopped walking and took my other hand in his, looking me in the eye, and yet even deeper down into my soul.

It seemed impossible that the darkness would intensify his piercing gaze, but it did. "The way I feel about you, Lee-lee…" he started, throwing in my new nickname for good measure. "I've never felt like this before. I don't know what it is, but there's something about you that I just can't describe." He smiled, and it was the sweetest thing I had ever seen. "I don't know if you can feel it, too," he continued, "but it's like there's this magnetic pull, drawing me closer to you. And this," he said, squeezing my hands, strengthening the electricity, "Can you feel that, too?" I nodded. "That's what I thought. But I wasn't entirely sure. I like you, Lee-lee. I really really like you."

"I like you, too," I said, and I felt like those words were inadequate next to what he had just declared to me, but it was too early to tell him the depth of my feelings. To my surprise, he let go of my hands and wrapped me in a huge bear hug.

"Thank-you," he said into my hair, sending tingles down my spine.

"Anytime," I whispered into his chest. Then he let me go, all too soon, and took hold of my hand again.

"Alright, let's get you home." He led me back to his truck, where he again opened my door. Once he was in, he started the truck, and turned on the heat. I hadn't even noticed how cold it had gotten, probably due to the fact that the electricity running through my veins from Sam had kept me warm enough, but the heat blowing from his vents felt good on my skin.

The ride back to my house was warm and perfect. He had, once again, placed his hand in mine and relieved me of the pain I now felt when we weren't touching. He started up a conversation about Seth, which I got into quickly, realizing how much I truly loved my brother. Once we pulled up to my driveway, I was a little bit sad that our night was over. I looked at the dash and it read ten twenty-seven. He turned off the truck and looked at me.

"Did I tell you how gorgeous you look tonight?" he said, his husky voice low and intense. I smiled.

"I believe so," I answered. He returned my grin and squeezed my hand.

"Well I want to say it again. I don't think I can say it too much. You are absolutely stunning," he finished, his voice turning into a whisper.

"Thanks," I answered, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks.

He sighed and said, "Alright, let's get you inside." He got out of the car and I instinctively reached for the handle again and opened the door. He rushed over and pulled it all the way open saying, "Lee-lee, you've really got to start letting me do that."

I laughed and hopped down with his help, and he walked me to my door. "Do you want me to pick you and Seth up for school?" he offered. "I can drop you off, too. Then your mom doesn't have to."

"Oh Sam, you don't have to do that!"

"Okay then, I'll pick you guys up at seven ten," he said with a smile. I rolled my eyes.

Then he gave me a hug and said, "Thank-you for saying yes, Lee-lee. I had a wonderful time."

"Me, too," I answered. Then he released me and I said, "Goodnight, Sam."

"Goodnight, Leah. I'll see you in the morning." I took out my keys, unlocked the door, and slipped quietly into the house. After I closed the door, I leaned against it and let out a sigh of pleasure. I stood there like that until I hear his truck start and pull away from my house.

"Goodnight, Sam," I whispered to myself.

**Three words: _Review, review, review!_**


	5. Giggles and Walks

**Hey everybody. I just want to throw out a quick head's up, my story WILL be following the original's plot to the best of its ability and all that entails. So for now, we're kind of in a pre-Twilight stage which I am going to try and make last awhile and elaborate on the Sam/Leah part, especially because I think it'll help us understand why Sam feels so guilty and why Leah's so bitter later on.**

**FYI, everything I'm writing right now is going off of when Jacob explains imprinting to Bella. When he tells her Sam & Leah's story, he describes the two as being "highschool sweethearts." So that's what's going on right now. Their highschool-sweetheart-ness. Emily will come later. (Poor Leah, I know.) However, BD isn't where my story will end, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Basically, I just don't want people to go on thinking this is a total S/L fic, because eventually it won't be. Sorry that author's note was so long--onto the story! Chapter five is called **_Giggles and Walks_**. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: Not SM, characters are all hers.  
**

The next morning I got ready anxiously. Sam had starred in my dreams, and that made it harder to believe our date hadn't just been one of those dreams.

My mom was ecstatic that Sam was taking us to school because it "saved time and gas", and Seth was excited because he "thought it was cooler to be driven by an upperclassman than your mom." _Big deal_, I thought when he had expressed that. But it really was a big deal. I couldn't wait to see Sam—I had to make sure the previous night had really happened.

So I sat at the counter, picking at a muffin, and looking over my chemistry homework again. That stupid class really was impossible, and I started to think about transferring out of honors. I looked at the clock to see that it was five past seven, and ran up to my bathroom to brush my teeth. While I was upstairs, I grabbed my bag and went back down, yelling to Seth as I went.

I didn't know if I should be waiting outside for him, or if Sam would come to the door, or if he would just honk. I stood at the front door debating before I decided to wait outside. I opened the door to see Sam's beautiful face as his hand stopped right next to the doorbell that he was about to ring.

I laughed and said, "Good morning."

"Good morning, Leah. You ready to go?"

"Mhmm, let me get Seth."

"You don't need to get me, I'm right here," Seth said walking out the door and closing it.

We walked to the truck and I truly believed Seth was the best younger brother ever when he offered to take the backseat. The drive to school was pretty normal; Sam mostly asked Seth questions about school and sports. I was thankful that the conversation mostly focused on my brother because Sam had taken hold of my hand again, consequently making it very hard for me to concentrate on anything.

When we got to school, Seth hopped out of the cab of the truck and ran off to his first class while Sam offered to walk with me to Mr. Meani's room. He didn't let go of my hand, and he walked extremely close to me, carrying my books in his other hand. We stopped at the classroom door and I was babbling on about getting my car when he started playing with my fingers, intertwining his through mine. I saw him smirk slightly and glance up at me when this action distracted me and cut my sentence off short.

"Yes? You were saying?" he asked, squeezing my hand.

"Um," I stammered, "I'm…uh…I don't remember…" He chuckled. "That's not fair!" I whined.

"What's not fair?" he asked me, his tone serious, but a wicked grin playing at the corners of his lips.

"Oh, 'what's not fair?' Mr. Master-of-Distractions! You can make me ramble like an idiot but I have no effect on you?" I questioned, legitimately upset, most likely looking ridiculous.

Suddenly, he was very much invading my personal space, whispering in my ear. "You do affect me," he said, his breath tingling in my ear, sending chills down my spine. "You know that, too."

"N-n…no I… do-…on't," I muttered, unable to speak clearly when his face was _in_ my hair. He just laughed and pulled away. _No! _my body thought, beginning to let me ache for his touch, _don't go!_ But then the bell rang and he had to go. I sighed.

"See you at lunch, Lee-lee," he said before smiling at me and turning away.

Talk about long mornings. _It's like the more you get the more you want!_ I thought to myself in third period. _And I definitely want more of Sam. _That thought caused me to sigh audibly. When the bell rang in fourth period, releasing me to lunch, I got out of my seat a little too eagerly and tripped on the television cord.

"Careful," said Señora Gonzalez. I just rolled my eyes after she couldn't see me and headed towards the cafeteria, grabbing my lunch out of my locker on the way. I made my way through the throng of kids back to "our" table. Of course I'd beaten Sam and Jared; I normally did considering they had to wait in line when I didn't. But after a few minutes, Sam sat down across from me with his lunch tray. I eyed the food it contained speculatively; feeling glad I brought my own lunch. There was no way that _mush_ was considered food. _Blech!_

Sam noticed my assessment of his food and rolled his eyes, pointedly scooping a huge bite of the pulpy substance into his mouth while the corners of his lips curved up to form a smirk. To my pleasure, he choked on it and made a disgusted face as he spit it up into his napkin. I just raised my eyebrows at him and we both started laughing.

"What's so funny?" asked Jared, walking up to the table and stopping behind the chair next to Sam. I just shook my head and then noticed that Kiani was standing behind him.

"Nothing," I said while Sam simultaneously declared, "I'm bringing my own lunch from now on!" which only made me laugh harder.

"Hi, Kiani," I finally managed through fits of giggles. Sam kicked me gently under the table and I shot him a playful glare. He just winked. _Ah! Come on Sam, I'm trying NOT to laugh! _I thought.

"Hey, Leah," she responded softly.

"Do you two mind if Kiani sits with us at lunch?" Jared asked, still not sitting down.

"Sure!" Sam and I said at the same time, which made me laugh again. Jared rolled his eyes and finally took his seat, Kiani sitting down next to him.

The rest of lunch followed in pretty much the same way. Sam would do silly things and I would laugh. Jared would roll his eyes and make some side comment to Kiani about "teenage hormones" which would make her giggle and then all four of us would be laughing. Another lunch with another new addition to share the fun. Then the bell would ring, sending us all our separate ways, leaving me to my favorite part of the day with Sam.

Kiani sat with us at lunch for the rest of that week, and the next. She was a generally shy girl, but once she opened up, she had a great, bubbly personality. And you could tell by the way he looked at her that Jared liked her a lot.

Walking to chemistry was still my favorite four minutes out of the day. It wasn't as if it was the only Sam-alone-time I got, because almost every waking moment was spent with him. He picked Seth and me up, dropped us off, came over for dinner, or helped me with chemistry. But there was something so cute and innocent about him walking me to class, carrying my books.

The next Thursday, after Sam parked his truck and Seth ran off to his class, Sam came over to my side and held my hand, walking me to homeroom. That was the other thing: every single second I was with him (which was the majority of my time; let me tell you), Sam held my hand as if it was his own. I loved it and hated it at the same time, loving the connection of our skin, but hating the fact that it wasn't _more_. Once we reached the classroom, he turned to me like he had something important to say.

"Lee-lee,"—he had been very quick to use that name whenever addressing me—"do you want to go out to dinner tomorrow night?" He smiled at me.

I so badly wanted to tease him but when he asked all serious like that, I couldn't help but nod and say, "Yes." He gave me a hug and then ran off to his class.

In homeroom, I noticed that Kim—with whom I had been making zero effort to become closer to—was all sad and glummy. How long had she been like that? _I guess she's kind of been quiet the last couple weeks in general. What's that all about?_

"Hey, Kim," I said after homeroom, before English started.

She looked up at me, seeming frustrated, "Oh, hey, Leah."

"Are you okay?"

"Eh, just lots of stuff's happened." _Stuff? What kind of stuff?_

"What kind of st—" The bell signaling for first period to start interrupted me and gave her the opportunity to turn her attention away from me and back to staring glumly at her worksheets. _Fine! _ I thought to myself, feeling frustrated. _Be that way._

So instead of trying to worry about Kim, I worried about my next date.

**Sorry, I know it's kind of short, but I wanted to give you something during the week.**

**_Please review! It's amazingly encouraging!_  
**


	6. Forest

**Okay, so I feel really horrible, I haven't updated in almost three weeks. I know, I'm terrible, and excuses are excuses, but there has been SO much going on lately. Between school, friends, family, and money, my life is going insane. But I wrote this for the like three of you who read it, because if it was me, I'd be oh-so-antsy to get an update. Anyways, without further adu, here's chapter six, **_Forest_**. Hope you like it!**

**DISCLAIMER: I--much to my dismay--still do not own Twilight or its characters.  
**

Sam dropped Seth and me off after school and couldn't stay because he had to work. I worked slowly through my homework, realizing how much I really enjoyed Sam's company, even if when he was there he was simply sitting there. When he wasn't around, time seemed to move impossibly slowly and everything was duller. Either way, I made it through all of my work, even for chemistry, because thanks to Sam's science genius, I was actually beginning to understand what was going on in that class.

After I finished my work, I went downstairs and found my mom just finishing up setting the table. A smile came to my face when I saw that she had set five places.

"Hey, Mom," I greeted her.

"Oh, hi, Leah! Are you already done with your homework?"

"Yeah, it's gotten exponentially easier since the tutoring started."

"That's so good, honey. Good thing he works for free." That made me laugh.

"But speaking of working, Mom, Sam won't be here for dinner tonight because he's working at his actual job," I informed her.

"Oh," she said, seeming disappointed and then she started to clear away his place at the table.

"Why is that such a bummer, Mom?" I asked, loving the fact that my family got along so well. He was so perfect. I couldn't imagine being with anyone else; we were made for each other.

"It's just that I made steak tonight, and I know that's Sam's favorite."

I rolled my eyes and laughed again, saying, "I'll be sure to save him a plate."

Dinner and the rest of the night went even slower, and after cleaning up the kitchen with Seth I hurried up to my room to check if Sam had called. He hadn't so I decided to take a shower, hoping to get rid of the nerves I felt about the next night's date. It was weird to pin exactly why I was nervous. After all, Sam and I had been going out for about a month now, I shouldn't be _nervous_. But it was our first real dinner date—everything else had either been with friends or just him coming over to my house. It was exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. After brushing my teeth and changing into pajamas, I went back to my room ready for bed. Just as I was turning out the lights, my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered, already knowing whom it was.

"Hey Lee-lee," Sam's beautifully husky voice came through the other end of my phone. "How was your day?"

"It was good, nothing much happened after you left. How was work?"

"It was…work." He laughed. "Did you get all your chemistry homework done?"

"Yes, sir, Mr. Uley," I teased. He laughed again.

"Good. My day was extremely slow without you."

My heart skipped a beat and I replied, "Mine, too. Isn't that weird?"

"Not weird—it makes perfect sense. I missed you."

I laughed and said, "Sam, we were only apart for a few hours out of the day."

"That's a lot!" he replied, laughing, too.

"Mom made steak for you tonight," I told him.

"Ah man! I missed steak?" He sounded legitimately upset and I giggled. _Oh know there's that g-word again!_

"That's what you get for working."

"Well if I didn't work, how would I make enough money to take a pretty woman like yourself out to dinner tomorrow night?" Butterflies flew around in my stomach.

"Hmmm," I replied, pretending to think about it, "I'm not sure. You could always rob a bank."

"But what if I got caught?"

"You wouldn't get caught; I'd be there to help you, silly."

"What if we both got caught and were put in jail?"

"No way would we get caught! Jared would be our lookout."

"All this for a dinner?" he asked.

"Yup. I like my food," I replied. At that he had to laugh. "Where are we going tomorrow night, anyways?" I asked.

"I wanted to drive you up to Port Angeles. Is that okay?" he asked.

"Of course, Sam." Saying his name felt so good, so right.

"Alright, then I'll just drop Seth off from school tomorrow and you can just stay with me. I want to go for a walk first and then we'll drive up for dinner."

"Okay, sounds good," I said, yawning. I hadn't realized how tired I was.

"You sound sleepy," he said, "I should let you go."

"Yeah, you probably should. I'll see you soon."

"Goodnight, Lee-lee."

"Night, Sam."

I slept peacefully that night just like I had been lately, dreaming sweet dreams. Sam picked us up in the morning like he had become accustomed to doing, always winning brownie points with my mother. He held my hand all through the school day, constantly sending jolts of electricity up and down my body at every touch. The day passed quickly, surprisingly enough. Most of the teachers seemed as eager for the weekend as we were.

The speed of the day didn't stop me from noticing that Jared and Kiani didn't seem to be sitting as close or acting as "lovey dovey" as they normally did. It was odd, but I tried not to worry about it; my day was going so well and I didn't want to ruin it.

When the dismissal bell rang, it felt like the day had been very short and Sam and I dropped Seth off at home before he drove me deeper into La Push to a forest that I had never been in. He parked the car and I patiently waited while he made his way to my side to open the door (it was something I had just needed to get used to—he insisted on doing it). Sam helped me down and I smoothed out my skirt that I had worn to school on account of lack of pre-date-preparation-time. He didn't let go of my hand—shocker, I know—and we started to make our way through the trees.

"Where are we going?" I asked once we were under the thick vegetation. I was glad he was guiding me because I surely would have gotten lost in all of the green. It was extremely lush and pretty, everything seemed to glisten.

"Just for a walk," he answered, smiling at me.

"Okay," I said, moving a little bit closer to him and squeezing his hand. "I guess I can handle that."

We walked for a while; talking about small random things, content to just walk in silence every now and then. Soon I noticed the lighting start to change, and got a notion we were not 'just going for a walk.' Soon there was a break in the tall trees and I could see water. We were at the edge of a beautifully blue pond.

"Oh Sam, it's so pretty!" I practically squealed, delighted at the gorgeous site. I laughed internally at what a girl I had become.

"I know, isn't it?" he asked rhetorically. He led me over to an abandoned log, which we sat on. He scooted me close to him and wrapped his right arm around me, flooding my body with heat. He—and I—then noticed the goose bumps running along my arm. "You're cold?" he asked, already taking off his jacket. "Why didn't you say so?"

"I didn't even notice," I said, laughing as he slid his enormous jacket onto my arms. Then he replaced his arm around me and grabbed my left hand with his, rubbing my fingers. I couldn't help the heat that was now coursing through my veins, the undeniable reaction to his every touch. My heart was now in double time, and I could feel my thankfully dark cheeks heat. I leaned into Sam and the electricity in my body was only intensified. We sat there like that for who knows how long, my entire body on fire. Eventually he pulled me up and placed both of his hands over mine, bringing them to his face. Had there not been intense electricity pulsing through my veins, I would have laughed at the considerable difference between my warm left hand and cold right hand.

He held our hands there like that before letting them drop and placing both of his large, warm hands on either of my wind-blown cheeks. My eyes stayed on his, unable to move, and the golden sunset behind us only made that moment more perfect than I ever could have dreamed. His dark eyes seemed to melt and smolder and my lips began to almost ache for his touch. He started to close the distance between us and each inch made my blood rise and intensified the electricity. Just before I couldn't handle it anymore, our lips met.

It was everything I'd ever imagined and more. My eyes instinctively closed at the touch and my hands found their way around his neck. The kiss was so electric, but nicely controlled. There was a passion communicated through our lips that could never be expressed in words. His mouth had the sweetest taste, and in that moment, I had never been happier.

I'm not sure how long our first kiss lasted; I know it was sweet and soft. His lips weren't urgent, they moved gently on mine, working with them. When it ended, and I opened my eyes, I saw melted chocolate eyes looking back at me, searching deep into my soul like no one else ever could. And just like that, he whispered, "Thank-you," against my cheek.

That boy had the goofiest grin on his face as he took my hand in his and led me back to the car. I laughed at him internally until I realized the same grin was plastered on my flushed face. Once we made it to his truck, he unlocked it and helped me in. Then he made his way to his side and hopped in, starting the engine. We both put on our seatbelts and he asked, "Dinner?"

I nodded, in quite a daze from our first kiss; pretty sure I had never felt anything that good in my entire life. The most amazing part was it wasn't only _our_ first kiss, but _my_ first kiss and I was so immensely happy it was with Sam. There wasn't anyone else I'd rather have shared that experience with, but I didn't want to tell him that. As he pulled out of the parking spot and back onto the highway, I couldn't help but think joyfully, _And the night is young._

**Please, please, _please_ tell me what you think!**

**_Review!!_  
**


	7. Dinner, Epiphany, & a Goodnight Kiss

**Okay, I'm sorry this one is short, but I felt so bad for waiting that long to update that I wanted to give you another one, finishing up the date. Fair enough, right? Here's chapter seven, it's called **_Dinner, Epiphany, & a Goodnight Kiss_**. Hope you like it!**

**DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything Twilight and Twilight-character-related!**

I couldn't stop grinning the entire ride to Port Angeles. I felt like an idiot with a huge goofy smile on my face, but how could I _not _smile? Sam, of course, held my hand throughout the entire ride up and we talked about a range of things. Seth came up a lot; we both really cared about him.

It amazed me how I could spend so much time with Sam and still not be able to get enough of him; he was everything I wanted and more. Although it was early in our relationship, I couldn't ever imagine being with someone else, I didn't even look at other boys. He pulled up to a small restaurant and parked the truck. We walked hand-in-hand through the front doors where a waiter greeted us and Sam gave his name for the reservations he had made.

We sat down at our table, which was secluded and very private. The waiter handed us menus and announced that our server would be with us shortly. We both started to read the entrees and I noticed for the first time that it was a steakhouse, and had to keep from laughing out loud. Sam loved his red meat.

I looked up from the menu, meaning to steal a glance at Sam, but failing miserably to be conspicuous when I froze in shock at his mere excellence. Every line and contour of his face was absolute perfection. His skin was soft and clear, and I noticed how perfectly shaped his lips were. At that thought, my lips began to ache, as if in memory of our kiss and urging me to kiss him again. _No_, I thought, arguing with myself, _we're here to eat dinner_! The thought was tempting, though.

He noticed my analysis and smiled at me, melting my heart. _How cheesy._ But there was no other way to describe it; Sam literally _melted _my heart. His perfectly white teeth gleamed against his russet skin and his eyes lit up when he smiled at me like that. He reached his hand across the table to hold mine. I smiled back timidly, feeling my cheeks warm.

"Order whatever you want," he informed me, "The sky is the limit." He winked.

I laughed and said, "Oh, you shouldn't have said that! Now I'm going to get the…" I quickly glanced at the menu for the most expensive thing. "…House Special Filet Mignon."

"Good. Splurge," he said teasingly.

I stuck my tongue out at him and he returned the gesture just as our server walked up to the table. "Hi, my name is Michelle, and I'll be your server tonight. Can I get you two something to drink?"

I looked up at her and answered, "Water," feeling slightly embarrassed that she had just witnessed our kindergarten banter.

"Coke," said Sam, flashing her a smile.

She smiled and said, "Be right back with those." Sam turned his attention back to me and I realized the funniest thing. I was so _different_. I was the new and improved Leah. Before Sam, if I had been on a date, I would have analyzed every girl in the room as potential competition. And that smile he just gave her—that would have sent the old Leah over the edge. But Sam gave me a confidence I'd never experienced before. I trusted him like nobody else, completely secure in the fact that he would never hurt me. There was no need to worry about how pretty our waitress was, because he was interested in _me_. I smiled at the thought.

"What?" Sam asked, looking at me intently. I hadn't even realized that during my personal epiphany, I had been slightly dazed.

"Huh?"

"What's that smile for?" he clarified, smiling warmly at me again.

"Oh…" How was I supposed to explain that? It all sounded just fine it my head but it would sound silly out loud. "Nothing."

He squeezed my hand and said, "That wasn't a nothing smile."

Just then the waitress returned with our drinks and set them on our coasters. "Have you folks decided what you'd like for dinner?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," answered Sam, winking at me, "I'll have the House Special Filet Mignon. Medium."

I rolled my eyes and said, "And I'll have the Steak and Chicken Salad."

"Okay, coming right up," she replied with a smile, scribbling our orders on a notepad and walking away.

"I thought you were getting the filet?" Sam asked playfully.

"I don't want to dent your wallet _too_ much," I answered with a laugh.

"Fair enough," he answered, dazzling me with his smile. "Now what were you all smiles about a minute ago?" I bit my bottom lip. "Come on, Lee-lee, tell me. Don't you trust me?" He unleashed the full force of puppy dog eyes.

I broke. "That's just it," I said matter-of-factly.

"What is?" he asked seriously, confused.

"I do trust you. It amazes me actually. I was just thinking about…" I struggled for the right wording, "…how perfect you are…for me. And how much I've come to trust you. It's incredible."

Sam's lips turned upward again until he was grinning from ear-to-ear. "That is the most beautiful thing you could say, Leah." He chuckled. "And here I was thinking you were laughing at me for something."

I laughed. "Silly Sam, don't you know I'd just tell you if that were the case?"

Dinner was delicious and it went on pretty much like that the rest of the night. Sam had become so much more to me than just a boyfriend—he was my best friend. I couldn't think of anyone I trusted more, or anyone else with whom I could completely be myself, free of worry about being judged. He appreciated me and liked me just the way I was.

When he dropped me off that night, he walked me to my door and caught my hand, pulling it away from the knob before I unlocked the door and went inside.

He got very much in my personal space and looked intently into my eyes, freezing me on the spot. "Wait," he whispered, his warm breath touching my lips and lighting my senses on fire.

With less suspense this time, he closed the distance between us, and his lips softly crashed against mine, moving rhythmically in time. All too soon, he pulled away and smiled down at me. He tapped my nose with his finger and said, "Goodnight, Lee-lee." Then he quickly pecked my lips once more and bounded down my porch steps.

"Night, Sam!" I called as he hopped back into his truck. He smiled, and I turned, opening the door and going to my room, reveling in what was quite possibly the best night of my life.

**Okay, I really hope you liked it! You know what to do, so please review! (Sorry I haven't been very good at replying to you guys, I'm going to try and do better at that!)**

**Heads up to everyone, I'm thinking maybe a few more chapters of pre-Sam-phases-ness. Of course I'm sure we'd all love to read fifty chapters about Sam & Leah's good times in high school and every event of their relationship, but then my story would become way too long and pretty much all of those fifty chapters would be pure fluff, and that's just not how it's going to work (sorry!). Keep in mind though, after Sam phases, it won't be the end of Sam & Leah yet, there should still be plenty of them ahead. I think I'm planning on a decent amount of time before Emily comes to visit. So don't fret! (But DO be expecting that later, it WILL inevitably come!)**

**_Review, please! It encourages me to procrastinate my homework longer and update faster!_  
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	8. A Special Promise

**Okay, sorry, I know I said I'd have one out today, and this took a really long time. Honestly though, I've done like five loads of laundry, not to mention that I had to wash and detail my dad's huge truck, which took all afternoon. So here's chapter eight, **_A Special Promise_**. Hope you like it.**

In retrospect, I should have known that life didn't always go so perfectly. I was a fairly smart girl in high school. I should have been expecting something bad to happen; I shouldn't have had so much faith and trust. I should have known.

* * *

Life was perfect. Weeks passed and somehow, Sam only became more and more of the man I needed. He never failed to amaze me; he was always there.

Two weeks after our first kiss, it was a Tuesday and I had just gotten out of Spanish class. I walked to my locker and grabbed my lunch, and then I headed over to meet Sam, Jared, and Kiani at our table.

I got there just as Sam did and he smiled, giving me a kiss on my cheek as we sat down. A huge grin inevitably grew across my face, and my left cheek burned where his lips had touched it. We started eating our lunches—his was now homemade; ever since that first day Kiani had sat with us, he'd brought his own—and after a few minutes Jared made his way over to the table, with a glum look on his face.

"Jared, man what's wrong?" Sam asked as Jared pulled out his chair, plopping down with his lunch tray.

He sighed and said quietly, "Kiani and I broke up." My eyes immediately searched the room for her. She was sitting with a bunch of senior girls, throwing her head back and laughing. _How can she be so happy if they just broke up_? I thought.

"Oh, Jared," I said, instantly feeling sorry for him. "What happened?"

He frowned and looked me in the eyes saying, "I'm not really sure. Things just didn't really work out. I think it's mostly she wasn't that into me."

"I'm sorry," Sam and I both said at the same time. I added, "It's her loss."

Jared smiled. "Hey it's okay. We didn't get that serious, anyways."

I smiled at that, glad that he wasn't too torn up about it. Then he said, "Not like you two, that is."

I felt my dark cheeks warm as the three of us all laughed at that. Jared bounced back from that relationship quickly, and time flew by.

Three months later, Sam and I were still going strong. It was a Friday night, our usual date night, and mid-February. I was in the bathroom, curling my short, dark hair, waiting for Sam to pick me up. He had said we were going somewhere special.

After I was done, I changed out of my sweats into my new jeans, and threw on a long-sleeve yellow blouse. I opted for my flip-flops despite the cold; it was _always_ cold. Just as I was applying cherry Chap Stick to my lips, the doorbell rang. I smiled; even after all that time, Sam still came to the door every time he picked me up.

I ran down the stairs and opened the door to see my very own beautiful Indian angel, smiling down at me, his dark eyes sparkling.

"Hey," I said as he grabbed my hand and pulled me outside. I turned, locking the door on my way out because Seth and my parents had gone to the movies.

"Hi, Lee-lee," he replied, still grinning. We walked to his truck, where he, of course, opened my door for me and let me in. I slipped my seatbelt on while he made his way to the driver's side. Once he was in and started the car, his hand instinctively cradled mine.

"So where are we going?" I attempted to get him to tell me.

He shook his head with a smirk, saying, "Huh-uh. I told you. It's a surprise."

"Well, what's the special occasion?" I asked, silently wishing I hadn't. _It isn't like an anniversary thing of some sort, is it?_ I wondered nervously. I still wasn't used to all of the boyfriend-girlfriend protocol.

He turned to me briefly with a very serious look on his face, to look directly into my eyes. "You." My face must have displayed how confused I was because he elaborated, "Everything I do is for you, Leah. Do I need a special occasion to treat you?"

I smiled and said, "No."

As the drive went on, I became even more confused. I had thought special meant a nice dinner in Port Angeles or maybe even Seattle. But we were driving _away_ from the big cities, even deeper into the reservation, nearing the dark forests. _Where are we going? _I wondered over and over again.

After what seemed like ages, he pulled to a stop in what appeared to be a parking spot. Suddenly I felt a sense of déjà vu, but I couldn't be certain because it was dark. It _felt_ like I had been there before… Sam turned off the engine and hopped out, hurrying to my side to get the door.

He took my hand back in his as he helped me out, and asked, "Do you think you'll be cold?"

"Will we be outside?" I asked, surprised. I thought maybe we were going to some unknown little restaurant for dinner.

"Of course," he said, and I could see his eyes light up with amusement from the dim glow of the stars in the sky. _Hey! I can see the stars, _I noticed, _it's actually _not _cloudy. How beautiful! _Sam's voice broke my thoughts and brought my gaze back to his face, "You really don't know where we are?"

I shook my head and he chuckled, pulling me towards the trees. Then it hit me. "Oh!" I exclaimed. "Our forest."

He nodded and laughed again, walking closer to me. I could feel the warmth from his body and it only drew me closer to him. We walked for a while, and I felt relieved and more aware; now that I somewhat knew where we were and where we were going.

I didn't know the way to the little pond, though; because our first kiss was the only other time he'd brought me there. Finally, I could see the clearing in the tree branches and began to bounce a little bit, excited to reach _our_ spot. Sam noticed my heightened excitement and chuckled again. I was glad he'd brought us here, and of course it was special, it just wasn't what I had been expecting.

We reached the shore of the small body of water, and found the log to sit on again. It was even more beautiful than the last time, if that was possible. The moon was full, lighting up the entire area, reflecting off of the water to make everything brighter. Thousands of stars twinkled in the sky, and again I was glad that I could actually see them for once, with the absence of the constant cover of clouds.

He put his arm around my body, acting as my own personal heating blanket, and I snuggled closer into him. "Thanks, Sam," I said softly, not wanting to disturb nature in all of her beauty, "You were right. This is special."

He kissed my head and laughed yet again. _What is SO funny?_ I thought. "Lee-lee, coming here isn't the special part."

"It's not?" I asked leaning my head back to see his face. Out of nowhere, he dipped his head and put his lips to mine, kissing me upside down.

When he broke our kiss, he laughed again and said, "Sorry, that was random. You just looked so cute like that, I couldn't resist." I laughed. "But no, Leah, the place is special, but not what I was referring to."

I was still a little taken back by the unexpected kiss, and extremely confused. "Okay…" I said, prompting him to elaborate. He pulled my body around, turning me so that I was sitting sideways on his lap.

"Lee-lee, I want to tell you something." His deep brown eyes searched mine. I waited for him to continue. "You know you mean the world to me." I nodded, unable to speak, holding my breath. "I've never met anyone like you. From the first day I met you, when I saw you sitting at that table in the lunchroom, it was like gravity was pulling me towards you. At first I thought it was just because you were so beautiful." I blushed. "But then I talked to you. And you were just so…intriguing. I couldn't stop thinking about you."

I concentrated very hard on his eyes, the way the moonlight hit them and they sparkled. My eyes trailed over his face, his perfect skin, the curves of his lips. He went on, "And then, above everything else, there was the…there _is_ the…the electricity." He rubbed my hand with his and I knew exactly what he was talking about. I nodded, urging him to continue. "When I'm not with you, even for just a little while, I get anxious and time moves exponentially slower." I couldn't believe what I was hearing; he was describing how _I _felt about _him,_ not the other way around.

"Leah, I am completely and totally in love with you. I love you." I felt a tear that I hadn't even realized forming stream down my face. I'd never felt anything like I did in that moment; there is no word to describe it. My body swelled with warmth and I felt like my heart was about to explode.

Despite the combustion threatening to happen inside of me, I somehow managed to place my right hand on his cheek and pull my face close to his, so that I was only an inch away. I kept my eyes on his and said, "Samuel Uley, I love you, too."

Suddenly the tension emitted from the space between us was released as our bodies reacted to the "gravitational pull," as he had described it. His lips moved in time with mine, and my hands found their way into his hair. His hands slid to the small of my back, and I almost couldn't stand the pleasure pulsing through my veins.

I pulled my left leg back, tucking it under me so that I was facing him head on, instead of sideways. I don't know how long we sat there kissing each other, but I wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon.

Eventually, though, Sam _did_ pull away. I kissed his jaw, not ready to stop. He chuckled and the rumble of his chest did strange things to my body when we were that close. "Hold on," he said, "I have something for you."

I pulled my head back and untangled my fingers out of his hair so he could proceed. He shifted me so he could pull something out his pocket. "I want you to know, Lee-lee, that you can trust me. I really do love you, and I fully intend to keep loving you." He gently took my wrist and wrapped something around it. I dropped my eyes from his to examine the bracelet. It was an intricately braided, woodsy bracelet, made out of leather. On the drawstring there was a beautiful bead that you slid up and down the notches to adjust the tightness. I fingered it slowly.

"Thank-you," I said, "It's beautiful." I kissed his cheek quickly, and continued to examine the jewelry.

"It's a promise. Well, a symbol of my promise to you. You can always trust me, Lee-lee. I will always love you."

With tears in my eyes, I kissed him again.

**So I spent some time today doing a little research, trying to think & figure out the timeline more accurately, and I realize that Leah is probably more likely a freshman when she starts dating Sam, and I'm sorry if my timing is a little bit off. Once I'm more sure, I might go back and change that. And also, I am trying to hammer out when exactly Leah's world collides with Bella's. I know the first time Bella meets her is the spaghetti dinner when Leah's talking on the phone the whole time. I currently don't have my copy of _New Moon_; I'm lending it to a friend and I was wondering if anyone knows exactly when that dinner is (and is it at the Blacks' house?) and what page number all that is? If you know or have a couple minutes to look for that for me, it'd be great. I wasted a lot of time trying to find that online today.**

**Anyways, like always, tell me what you thought.**

**_Pretty pretty please review!_  
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